A6M3-3A Zero Fighter, Maj. Saburo Shindo

Post your work in progress of your aircraft builds in here.
User avatar
speedgraflex
Moderator
Posts: 11358
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2017 11:08 pm
Contact:

Re: A6M3-3A Zero Fighter, Maj. Saburo Shindo

Post by speedgraflex »

Hell yes. That is beautiful work, Ken! Absolutely outstanding!
Make more models!
User avatar
KennyX
Elite Member
Posts: 2631
Joined: Sun Dec 24, 2017 11:19 am

Re: A6M3-3A Zero Fighter, Maj. Saburo Shindo

Post by KennyX »

Thank you Bruce! And Flat Aluminum will be sprayed on the cowling and flaps tomorrow!
Kenny X
Head Mother Trucker In-Charge @ Kenny X’s Reichs Winzigkleines Flugzeugewerks *and now* Airboat Records, too!
User avatar
jkim
Elite Member
Posts: 4073
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2017 4:03 pm

Re: A6M3-3A Zero Fighter, Maj. Saburo Shindo

Post by jkim »

Engine looks great! The wiring adds a nice touch. And yup... painting after the wires seemed to work out just fine!
John aka JKim
-----------<><
Image
User avatar
KSaarni
Elite Member
Posts: 5621
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2014 7:13 am
Location: Gent, Belgium
Contact:

Re: A6M3-3A Zero Fighter, Maj. Saburo Shindo

Post by KSaarni »

KennyX wrote:Cheers lads! I got the Nakajima Sakae 21 painted!

Image

I’m going to give it a day for the enamel to dry before I clear coat it and then get after it with the oil paints. I’m happy with it so far.

:shoutout:

- Kari
---
On the bench:

MiniArt 1:48 - Junkers F13 Float Plane



https://www.facebook.com/GrundAsk-Scale ... 721218708/
User avatar
Floki
Elite Member
Posts: 3548
Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2018 2:23 am
Location: Muncie, Indiana

Re: A6M3-3A Zero Fighter, Maj. Saburo Shindo

Post by Floki »

That radial looks very nice, great detail.
March as one, Don't look back
Odin's sons... Attack!
Unleash hell! Do not repent! Warfare grants us no lament
Let your weapons slash and tear This is no place for fear
Hold the lines! Move as one! In unity our victory's won
Our shields will form a mighty wall
United we shall never fall
User avatar
BlackSheep214
Elite Member
Posts: 13419
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2014 8:47 pm

Re: A6M3-3A Zero Fighter, Maj. Saburo Shindo

Post by BlackSheep214 »

Bravo, Kenny! I’m loving it!
“Who controls the skies, controls the fate of this Earth”

Author unknown- 352nd Fighter Group, Blue-Nosed Bastards of Bodney

“Send one plane it’s a sortie; send two planes it’s a flight; send four planes it’s a test of airpower. - Richard Kohn
User avatar
KennyX
Elite Member
Posts: 2631
Joined: Sun Dec 24, 2017 11:19 am

Re: A6M3-3A Zero Fighter, Maj. Saburo Shindo

Post by KennyX »

Thanks Clint and thank you Mr. Black Sheep!

I’m a bit behind in terms of the schedule I’d made up for this thing earlier in the week but that’s okay. I’m going to get the Flat Aluminum on the cowling and flaps, and start painting the exhaust today I’m thinking.
Kenny X
Head Mother Trucker In-Charge @ Kenny X’s Reichs Winzigkleines Flugzeugewerks *and now* Airboat Records, too!
User avatar
KennyX
Elite Member
Posts: 2631
Joined: Sun Dec 24, 2017 11:19 am

Re: A6M3-3A Zero Fighter, Maj. Saburo Shindo

Post by KennyX »

Painting has commenced. I have changed-up the manner in which I’m proceeding, and have deliberately slowed down the process which I’ll be documenting here.

First thing’s first- I primed the cowling in black Mr. Surfacer 1500, and then sprayed the Tamiya Flat Aluminum on it. Have a look:

Image

You’ll recall that I have complained about this particular aluminum being “too black” when sprayed over black. That certainly isn’t the case here. What the hell, man? I used a new jar of paint. That’s the only difference. I noticed that paint from this jar looked better during tests and experiments than the paint in the last jar of Tamiya Flat Aluminum I was using ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Next came the exhaust. Callout for those was “Metallic Gray.” I don’t have Metallic Gray. Who cares. I sprayed them with Flat Aluminum and then thinned some German gray 1:10 paint to thinner and oversprayed the pipes. After that, I thinned some Hull Red with that same ratio and sprayed on a layer of oxidation. Bougainville is basically the same operating environment as Munda. Plenty of salt, plenty of heat, plenty of moisture. So plenty of oxidation. Here is it:

Image

Im not worried about that little seam. It won’t be visible.

The callout for the cowl and flaps in a “Semi-Gloss Black.” I don’t have that. I prefer to mix my own anyway. I’ve encountered the term “Mitsubishi Blue Black” floating around during my research. That’s of interest to me. I used Tamiya Gloss Black: 2 + German Gray: 1 + Sea Blue: 1 and thinned it 1:3 thinner to paint. It looks nice sprayed over Flat Aluminum.

Okay, so the plan for the cowling is as follows:

1. BE PATIENT and let this paintwork cure overnight.
2. Seal with Mr. Hobby Super Clear tomorrow
3. BE PATIENT and let the clear coat cure overnight
4. Hairspray, then black, then chipping after work the following day

Once that’s done, I’ll do the gunsight and install that, along with masking and installing the windscreen and canopy. After that the rest of the aurframe will be painted in the same manner: black primer, Flat Aluminum, Super Clear, hairspray, and then the green and gray green.
Kenny X
Head Mother Trucker In-Charge @ Kenny X’s Reichs Winzigkleines Flugzeugewerks *and now* Airboat Records, too!
User avatar
speedgraflex
Moderator
Posts: 11358
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2017 11:08 pm
Contact:

Re: A6M3-3A Zero Fighter, Maj. Saburo Shindo

Post by speedgraflex »

One of the most sincere pleasures of reading every post you make is your level of transparency with your descriptions and your feelings toward your methodology. Let me tell you—thank you sincerely for both. It takes real stones to detail a work flow. Sometimes I just wanna drop the hefty level of description I generate because I am too tired or just too lazy or kinda crosswise with the whole method of posting online. But I truly know how much your work flow descriptions mean to me. Everything. It’s positive actuations of techniques mixed with an artist’s point of view. You bring the gold, Ken. Thanks ever so much.

Yea I know what you mean — I chuckled when I read that note about “not seeing the seam” and I agree with you for your approach. I am always gonna make a mental note of the seam because for me I feel a need to eradicate seams—especially ones in areas where I will paint and blend a color coat. I guess I get this from my Dad—he would fabricate parts and these were just so pretty in their own right that I would paint them really well. Again, I hope I have never focused on a seam as you are building—but I probably did and I ask you to forgive me. I totally get it.
Make more models!
User avatar
jkim
Elite Member
Posts: 4073
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2017 4:03 pm

Re: A6M3-3A Zero Fighter, Maj. Saburo Shindo

Post by jkim »

Sounds like you have a solid plan in place for the next steps. Not finishing an unseen seam is the way to go in my book too. But maybe I'd do something about thinning out those exhaust openings. :wink:
John aka JKim
-----------<><
Image
Post Reply

Return to “Aircraft Work in Progress”